The innovative 'pay if you clear' scheme marks a new way of dealing
with the struggle for market access in the UK for pharma companies, with
Janssen offsetting the cost of the drug if a patient remains infected
after 12 weeks of treatment.

Olysio (simeprevir) is one of several
new oral drugs that mark a major step forward in hepatitis C treatment,
alongside Gilead Science's Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) and AbbVie's regimen combining Viekirax (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir) and Exviera (dasabuvir).

Both Olysio and Sovaldi were this week recommended for NHS reimbursement in draft guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).